Extractions

The extraction of wisdom teeth is a fairly common procedure. In ancient times, humans would typically lose a few teeth and the remaining teeth would shift to fill in the gap. The wisdom teeth were located in the back of the jaw intended to be deployed in an opening.

Modern dentistry has prevented that tooth loss, so a new problem has come out: Mature wisdom teeth with no place to go start trying to breach the surface at an angle or under existing teeth. Wisdom teeth are also vulnerable to infection and may cause pain and swelling.

For extraction, an incision is made in the gum and the tooth is pulled out. In some cases the tooth may need to be cut into segments and removed in pieces.

Wisdom teeth can be removed individually or all four may be taken out at once. The patient can be placed completely out or have a local anesthetic. Either way, the patient will receive painkillers for after the procedure and will need a ride home.